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U.S. Rep Bob Brady decries political ‘vitriol' in wake of shooting
Jan 10, 2011
The assassination attempt that left Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life, six dead and a dozen others wounded has one local politician calling for an end to the vitriolic tone that has taken over political debate.
U.S. Rep. Robert Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, who served with Giffords on the House Arms Services Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and last spoke with her Friday, is calling for an end to the bitter rhetoric from both sides of the political spectrum.
“I think we’ve got to tone down the rhetoric on both sides,” said Brady, who also represents river wards in Delaware County. “We can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Giffords, a moderate Democrat who won re-election to a third term in November, was shot point blank in the face as she met with constituents outside of a Safeway supermarket Saturday. Six people were killed in the massacre, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll and Christina Taylor Green, born Sept. 11, 2001, and the granddaughter of former Phillies manager Dallas Green.
The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Jared Loughner, was subdued by civilians at the scene and is in custody. Authorities describe Loughner as mentally unstable.
“A 9-year-old girl is dead, a federal judge is dead,” Brady said on Sunday. “Gabby is a decent, classy, nice, nice lady who now is fighting for her life.”
Brady, distraught over the shootings, said political leaders need to ramp down the tone of their discourse and discuss their differences in a civilized manner.
“I have a point of view, they have a point of view, but I don’t denigrate or criticize,” said the congressman, who calls former Republican Congressman Curt Weldon a close friend. “Rhetoric like that spills out to the American people and fires them up. It’s not my style and I don’t condone it in any shape or form.”
During a press conference Saturday, Pima County Sheriff Clarence blamed venomous political rhetoric for inciting the tragedy.
“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous,” Dupnik said. “And unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
Giffords herself had expressed concern over the recent tone of political rhetoric. In an interview with MSNBC last year, she spoke about Sarah Palin’s “Take Back the 20” map, which showed the districts of congress members who voted for health care reform marked with bull’s eye targets.
“For example, we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district,” Giffords said in an interview last year with MSNBC. “When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action.”
Brady said the Palin “target list” crossed the line.
“I’m extremely upset about this cross-hairs stuff,” he said. “I’m going to propose a bill that says you can’t do that, you can’t threaten a congressperson. That gives people ideas.”
Brady said the vitriol goes both ways politically. He pointed to the flap over Republican House members Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8, of Bucks County, and Pete Sessions of Texas voting on legislation before being officially sworn in. Both representatives missed their swearing in on Wednesday, then had a do-over Thursday afternoon — after they had voted on six pieces of legislation.
Brady was among those who tried to find a fix for the situation Friday.
“I don’t want to have that kind of negative banter back and forth. It’s unnecessary,” Brady said, adding that the legislation in question passed overwhelmingly.
“The vote won by over 50 some votes. It was just the idea that we had to take a shot no matter what,” he said.
The eight-term congressman called his critically wounded colleague “a classy lady.”
“Knowing Gabby, she probably feels responsible for this happening to those other people,” Brady said. “I know she’s fighting for her life, but she probably feels responsible. It’s horrible.”
The congressman called on political leaders of every persuasion to tone down their rhetoric. He also expressed sympathy for Giffords and the others who were hurt or killed in the violent rampage.
“All she was doing was going to a supermarket, talking to constituents and doing her job,” Brady said. “That’s all she was doing. This is totally ridiculous.”
